Box-cover fastener.



R. M. BEDDING. BOX COVER FASTBNER. APPLICATION FILED 001a, 1912.

1,055,797, Patented Mar. 11,1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. RUFUS M. BEDDING, or MACON, GEORGIA.

BOX-COVER FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma r.1 1,'1913.

Application aie'a October 3,1012. Serial no. 728,759.

This invention relates to. improvements in 1 locking attachments formeter housings.

The object in view is the provision of simple and efficientmeans forpositivelylocking the cover plate of a meter housing in position, whichmeans shall be slusce'pti ble of release by means capable, initscontinu'o'us movement subsequent to the release, of moving the coverplate from the closed position. I

\Vith this and other objects. in View, as will in part "hereinafter bestated, and in part become apparent, the invention comprises certain-novcl constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinspecified and claimed.

. In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a longitudinal"erticalcentral section through a meter housing provided with anembodiment of the present invention, Fig. 9. is a transverse horizontalsection taken on the plane indicated by line 2 2 of Fig. l, and lookingupwardly. Fig. 3 is a vertical sect on taken on the plane indicated byline 3 3 of Fig. 2, and looking in the direction inklic-at-cd by thearrow. Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 2, of a fragment of amodified embodiment of the present invention. 'Fig. 5 is a longitudinalvertical central sectiont-hrough a'modified embodiment. Fig.

'6 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the planes indicatedby line 6 6 of Fig. 5, parts being broken away.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, 1 indicates a meter housing havingan open end normally. closed by a cover plate 2, the cover plate havingan inwardly extending flange 3. substantially fitting about the Walls ofthe housing 1. known type of hinged connection for the cover plate 2with the housing may be provided, as for instance the interlockingflanges shown. The wall of housing 1 is formed with an inwardlyextending keeper (3. in operation adapted to be engaged by the hooks oflatches 7, 7. each of said latches being pivot-ally sustained by a shaft8, and being normally disposed pendent therefrom. A laterally extendingamt 9 is fixed to the Rename,

Any preferred or well upper end portion of each latch i the arms 9 beingspaced aparta distance sufficient to accommodate therebetween the shankof a key. 1'0, which key is provided with bits 11, 11 projecting fromopposite sides of the shank in position for being disposed beneath thearms 9 for enabling elevationof said arms with the resultant'movement ofthe hooks of latches 7 out of locking engage-- ment with the keeper '6,that is, 'to the position indicated in dotted'lines in Fig. 1.

The shaft-8 is journaled or otherwise mounted in brackets 12, 12 fixed"to and pendent from the cover plate 2, and the cover plate informed witha keyhole l3 disposed in the longitudinal vertical planes of the housingbetween the adjacent-edges of the arms 9, so that the key 10 maybeginse'rted through the hole 13, and dropped down past the atni's'9,'the-bits' llbeingdisposedsubstanti'ally parallel 'to'the arms 9, andthus free to pass between said arms. After the key 1'0 has been droppedto this position, the operator turns the key to the position indicatedin .-.full lines in Fig. l, whereupon the bits 11 extend transversely ofand are thus-overhung by the arms 9. The operator then merely elevatesthe key until the bits strike the arms 9, and, swinging the sameupwardly, release the hoo'ks of latches 7 from keeper 6, and theoperator, by continuing this upward movement elevates the-cover plate 2andswings it back upon its hinged or locking flange connection with thehousing, and the cover plate may then be bodilyrlifted oil' of thehousing 1. Y

It is to be noted that the keeper 6 outstands from'the wall a distancesullicic nt to extend beyond the vertical plane of the axis of the pivotof latches 7, whereby the outstanding arm t) of each latch tends to constantl y maintain the respective latch in engagement with the keeperthrouglhgravitm tion. This. tendency is sufiicient to cause the latchesto swing beyond the line of the pivot, if permitted to do so, and inorder to maintain the latches, when the cover Z is elevated, in positionfor readily engaging the keeper, each latchv is formed with a shoulderor extension 14 which projects upwardly and forwardly from the pivot toa position for engaging the under face of cover plate 2 when therespective latch 7 is in proper position for being caused to engage thekeeper by lowering of the cover 2 to its closed position. The lower endof each latch 7 is preferably beveled oil' and 7 corresponds with theupper bevel of keeper (3 so as to direct each of the latches 7 in\vardly as the cover 2 is descending to its closed position, each latchswinging-again outwardly as soon. as the hook portion of the latcharrives below the plane of the keeper 6. -An important advantage of" thepresent invention resides in the fact that the operator has to performbut one continuous movement to accomplish the unlocking and, the removalof the cover plate. Anotheradvantagein the employment of a plurality oflatches 7 resides in the fact that the arms 9' may be disposed atdifferent elevations when the hooks of, the latches engage the keeper,and by this arrangement an unauthorized person might readily be confusedas to just how he ought to dispose the key 10 to effect a release. Intaking advantage of this feature. the construction would be slightlymodified from the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, andpreferably assume an embodiment such as is illustrated in Fig. 4:,wherein the latches 7 are pivotally sustained by shaft 8', and the arm9' of one latch extends laterally at one inclination and the arm 9' ofthe other latch extends at another inclination and is, therefore,disposed beneath the first arm so that an unauthorizedpperator inintroducing the'key 10 could by turning the key at the wrong pointengage the upperfarm 9 and release the latch, but the cover plate wouldstill remain locked. An authorized operator would simplv introduce thekey and passit downwardly 'until he was sure the bits. of the key werebeyond the lowermost arm. and the operation-would be accomplished afterthe manner above described.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated a further modified embodiment inwhich an annular housing 15 is provided witha detachable cover plate 16,the cover plate being merely dis osed to rest on an annularshouh' derformed from the material of the housmg. the plate not being pivotallyconnected to the housing. When this type of cover plate is employed.referably diametricallyopposite keepers 17 are provided and engaged bvlatches 18, 1 8 pivotally' sustained as at 19. 19 by the cover plate 16;each latch 18, ha ving an inwardly extending arm 20. and the arms-2Obeing relatively long and of sufiicient length to have their inner endportions lapping. The lapping portions'of the arms 20 are spacedlaterally apart for accommodating a key similar to key 10, the coverplate 16 being formed with the requisite keyhole 21. It is amiarent thatthe operation is substantially the same with respect to this modifiedembodiment as above set forth. the operator simply introducing the keythrough the hole 21, and

lowering it with the bits parallel to the arms 20 until the bits passbelow said arms, and thereupon the operator turns the key to a. positionwith the hits at right angles to their former position'so that the bitsare disposed beneath the arms 20. The operator may then elevate the keywith the result that he will 'elevate'the arms 20,-and

release the latches 17, and the upward' movement of the key may becontinued .for

lifting the coverplate 16 bodily from the housing 15.

Having thus described the-invention, what is claimed as new is: 1

1.'The combination with a-"ho'using, (it a' cover plate therefor. akeeper o'nithe housing, a plurality of latches engaging the keeper forlocking the cover plate in posi' tion, each latch having a laterallyextending arm, the arms beingsp'aced apart, and they I cover plate beingformed "with a keyhole disposed substantially in linewith the spacebetween said armsfor enablingtheintro duction of a double-bitted keybetween the arms enabling simultaneous elevation oil-the arms and alsoenabling elevation of the cover plate by continued movement of, theoperation of elevating the key. 1

2. The combination, with a housinit. of'a cover plate therefor,axke'eper on the housine. a latch pivotal'ly's ustained bv'thecoverplate and engagingfthekeep'erfor locking the cover plate in position,said'latch.having'- a laterallv extendingnarmi th'ehover plate beingformed witha keyhole -disposed at one side of the arm adapt ed-to.permit. the

admission of .a key whose bit' is adapted to, pass beneath the armandto'engage thetarm. f with an unwardmovement "of the key for releasingthelatch. the continued upward movement of the-key after the release ofthe latch serving to remove the cover-plate from its closed posit.ion.

3. The combination with a housing and a cover late therefor. of apivot-ally mounted latch adapted to'lock the cover-plate in a closedposition. an operating arm connected RUFUS M. REDDING. Witnesses:

L. A. MAGRAW, S. W. HATFIELD.

